About Fire and Explosion Hazard Indicators


Annotation:

Fire and explosion hazard indices are widely used in the normative-technical and practical activity for ensuring fire and explosion safety of the technological processes, storage and transportation conditions of substances,  materials and products, as well as when conducting fire-technical expertise and research. Based on the concepts «fire hazard index», «fire hazard», «fire and explosion hazard of substances and materials», the definition of fire and explosion hazard is proposed. This index is understood as a quantitative measure characterizing any property of fire and explosion hazard contained in a substance, process or condition and defined in specifications. Some uncertainties and stereotypes associated with inflammability of combustible substance or material are considered in practical examples. It is shown that the normative boundaries between the inflammability and noncombustibility or the groups of combustibility of substances and materials are not permanent and constant, as evidenced by various approaches thereto during different time periods. This fact testifies the relative relationship between them and the physical nature of the combustible substance or material. On the example of polystyrene plates it is shown how the multifacetedness of the term «flammability» became the cause of a wrong conclusion on their ignitibility. It is shown that imperfection of the methodology of the results assessment procedure of GOST 30244—94 allows to refer some combustible materials to the group of noncombustible materials. It is noted that the various normative methodologies on forecasting parameters of explosion for fuel-air mixtures are poorly coordinated between themselves. So, the use of fire and explosion hazard indices in the investigation of accidents and incidents related to fires and explosions, without prior verification of their suitability for a particular case, may not facilitate  establishing the true cause of the occurred fire or explosion and the forming efficient preventive means for prevention of similar accidents and incidents in the future.

References:
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DOI: 10.24000/0409-2961-2020-6-40-45
Year: 2020
Issue num: June
Keywords : fire and explosion hazard flash point combustibility ignition temperature auto-ignition temperature blast pressure
Authors:
  • Alexeev S.G.
    Cand. Sci. (Chem.), Assoc. Prof., Scientific Consultant, 3608113@mail.ru Ural Research Institute of the All-Russian Voluntary Fire Society, Ekaterinburg, Russia
  • Gurev E.S.
    Scientific Secretary NITs «NiR BSM» UrO RAN, Ekaterinburg, Russia Cand. Sci. (Eng.) ISA UrFU, Ekaterinburg, Russia
  • Poluyan L.V.
    Director NITs «NiR BSM» UrO RAN, Ekaterinburg, Russia Cand. Sci. (Eng.) ISA UrFU, Ekaterinburg, Russia
  • Barbin N.M.
    Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Assoc. Prof., Lead Researcher Ural Institute of the State Fire Service of EMERCOM of Russia, Ekaterinburg, Russia